METHODS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALIGNED CARBON NANOTUBES AND NANOSTRUCTURED MATERIAL CONTAINING THE SAME

• US 20120251432A1
• Filed: 02/06/2008
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Multipure International
• Original Assignee: Seldon Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Cooper, Christopher H., Zhang, Hai-Feng, Czerw, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 8,709,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 423/447.3
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/745 Iron
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0215 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0217 Pretreatment of the substrate before coating
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/0238 via the gaseous phase-sublimation
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2202/08 Aligned nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 2202/34 Length
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/162 characterised by catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/164 involving continuous processes
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/13 Nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/26 Deposition of carbon only
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/50 using electric discharges generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 9/133 Apparatus therefor

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a scaled method for producing substantially aligned carbon nanotubes by depositing onto a continuously moving substrate, (1) a catalyst to initiate and maintain the growth of carbon nanotubes, and (2) a carbon-bearing precursor. Products made from the disclosed method, such as monolayers of substantially aligned carbon nanotubes, and methods of using them are also disclosed.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for producing substantially aligned carbon nanotubes, said method comprising depositing onto a continuously moving substrate,

(1) a catalyst to initiate and maintain the growth of carbon nanotubes, and

(2) a carbon-bearing precursor,

growing nanotubes inside of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor at conditions that promote the growth of substantially aligned carbon nanotubes on the catalyst support material.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the carbon-bearing precursor is preheated by a delivery manifold prior to being introduced into the CVD reactor.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the moving substrate is a flexible ribbon, ridged cylindrical, or ring.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the moving substrate comprises platinum, palladium, iridium, iron, cobalt, nickel, chromium, carbon, silicon, aluminum, magnesium carbon, combinations, alloys or oxides thereof.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the moving substrate comprises fibers, fabrics, mesh, sheets, wafers, cylinders, or ring plates.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising depositing a catalyst promotion material prior to depositing said catalyst material.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the catalyst promotion material comprises sulfur, water vapor, hydrogen gas, deuterium gas, oxygen, fluorine, helium, argon, ammonium, nitrogen or combinations thereof.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the depositing at least one of (1) or (2) is performed using laminar flow conditions.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the carbon-bearing precursors is comprised of CH₄, C₂H₄, C₂H₂, CO₂, CO, or combinations thereof.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the CVD reactor includes at least one technique chosen from, plasma, physical vapor deposition, electromagnetic fields, or combinations thereof.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the substantially aligned carbon nanotubes are comprised of hollow multi-walled nanotubes, bamboo multi-walled nanotubes, double-walled nanotubes, single-walled nanotubes, nano-spirals, and any combination thereof.

32. The method of claim 21, wherein the substantially aligned carbon nanotubes form at least a monolayer of carbon nanotubes.

33. The method of claim 21, wherein the conditions that promote the growth of substantially aligned carbon nanotubes include a temperature ranging from 600 to 1,100 degrees Celsius.

34. The method of claim 21, wherein the conditions that promote the growth of substantially aligned carbon nanotubes include the deposition of carbon bearing precursor at a flow rate per unit substrate surface ranging from 10 ml/(cm²min) to 400 ml/(cm²min).

35. The method of claim 21, wherein the catalyst is comprised of iron, cobalt, nickel, platinum, lead, palladium, copper, gold, or any combination or alloy thereof.

36. The method of claim 21, wherein the catalyst comprises a particle having diameter ranging from 0.7 nm and 50 nm.

37. The method of claim 21, wherein the moving substrate is moving at a speed sufficient to produce said carbon nanotubes to a length ranging from 100 um to 20 cm.

38. A method for producing substantially aligned carbon nanotubes, said method comprising depositing onto a semi-continuous or continuously moving substrate:

(1) a catalyst to initiate and maintain the growth of carbon nanotubes, said catalyst comprising iron, cobalt, nickel, platinum, lead, palladium, copper, gold, or any combination or alloy thereof; and

(2) a carbon-bearing precursor at a flow rate per unit substrate surface ranging from 10 ml/(cm²min) to 400 ml/(cm²min), growing nanotubes inside of a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor at a temperature ranging from 600 to 1,100 degrees Celsius, wherein said substrate comprises a flexible or rigid tape, wire, ribbon, cylindrical, or ring substrate of platinum, palladium, iridium, iron, cobalt, nickel, chromium, carbon, silicon, aluminum, magnesium carbon, combinations, alloys or oxides thereof.